Don’t you just hate it when someone you thought you could trust betrays you? Perhaps it was a friend who stole from you. Maybe it was a significant other that cheated on you. It could have been a teammate who thwarted your best efforts to obtain victory. If any of these situations sound familiar (particularly the last one), I have a feeling Emmitt Smith knows exactly what you’re going through.

On one particular sunny Sunday afternoon near our nation’s capital, Emmitt was leading an attack on the Redskins’ defense. He was on his way to record yet another devastating touchdown when out of nowhere he was blindsided by a ferocious blow that sent him sprawling over the back of a would-be missed tackler. After Emmitt was able to regain his focus and composure, he was shocked and terrified to realize from whom the hit had been delivered. It was not an unforeseen foe. No, this casualty was caused by friendly fire.

After years of working as a successful tandom duo, it appears that Daryl Johnston and Emmitt Smith had an unfortunate falling out, even if only for a very temporary period. Perhaps the “Moose” had finally grown weary of always being the first to hit the enemy’s front line yet second to receive the spotlight. Maybe he thought he was the one who deserved to be immortalized in the record books, more than just as a teammate footnote. One could even theorize that he was simply tired and keeping Emmitt off balance between the sidelines was his only way to keep the clock running. Whatever the reason, Johnston’s atrocity was caught on film and made public by The Topps Company, Inc:

Click image for a full-sized scan

Alright, obviously I do not actually believe Moose decided to channel Benedict Arnold on the play captured on this card. I will always believe he was a great teammate and deserved much more praise and recognition than he received. I also believe the follwing card is a much better representation of the two great Cowboys’ relationship:

Click image for a full-sized scan

It is fun to narrate the photos on your cards sometimes. I encourage all of you to do so. Especially if your home computer and scanner are ever out of commission for an extended period of time…